Hey guys, I just came into posession of an EMG 81X and my singer got some James Hetfield pickups for Christmas. Just wanted to share the video I made comparing them because it was hard to find a video that compared all three of the pickups with a consistent amp tone and playing throughout. Also Im wondering what you thoughts on the tones I am getting out of my amp with them, and if you think I could benefit from switching to a set of the Hetfield pickups... Really considering it but I want some second opinions. Thanks

Nice vid. Its weird because normally Im passive pickups all the way but the 81 sounded really good in the video. I could hear the "compressed" tone a bit, but I think it was more clear and aggressive than the other two. Maybe its because those riffs were actually recorded with an 81 but I say stay with the 81 if you are playing thrash like in the vid. Just my two cents.

i like 85/60 the best overall, not the X's not the hetset, just the originals.

but i only have EMG's in one guitar and they are both 81's. its on a Gibson SG tuned to C#std, got rid of all pots and switches, all that is in there is two switches, an on/off for each pickup, works pretty cool.

but the guitar is bastardized i wood burned a cross in there and some other 'pagan' themed symbols (i do some different forms of art mainly wood burning). its a faded, so i really don't care and have another SG that is much nicer (11/400 prod), however i got the faded straight up on an MIM tele.

i love that guitar.

however i typically like passives for like everything except for like a doom/stoner type thing, where the compression in the EMG's get ballsy and heavy.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Cathbard

See what I mean by, "they demonised it"? Tim's attitude is typical of what they did to everybody. The media drove that sort of Disney shit into everybody's brain. Only old farts like me missed it in our formative years.

I like EMG's on a stage. They are just so easy to live with in the varying conditions you find yourself as a working musician. Quiet, will drive a piece of wet string. Just wonderful. A tradeoff certainly worth making imo.

Nice vid. Its weird because normally Im passive pickups all the way but the 81 sounded really good in the video. I could hear the "compressed" tone a bit, but I think it was more clear and aggressive than the other two. Maybe its because those riffs were actually recorded with an 81 but I say stay with the 81 if you are playing thrash like in the vid. Just my two cents.

you're right, 81 is usually the pickup you're buying, you usually see an 81/85 combo or 81/60, the 60 and 85 aren't anything special, but the 81 is one of the best pickups on the market

^From what Ive experienced, the 60 is great for cleans in the neck and the 85 is a good high gain neck pickup for more fluid leads. 81 is garbage in the neck though, too high gain for what a neck pickup is supposed to do. Still never tried an 85 in the bridge position. May have to try that out one day...

I say, **** 'em all. The 60AX is king, for me, in all positions, now followed by the 57 and 66 on guitars which benefit from the pole separation. Everything the 81, 85 and 60 do, the 60A does better. Blows my mind that so many people only think of EMGs as being the 81/85/60 when those three are pretty much their worst products.

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